Two archbishops held memorial Masses as opposition leaders say hundreds or even thousands of people have been killed or disappeared.
By Nicholas Waigwa, ACI Africa
Two Catholic archbishops in Tanzania have condemned extrajudicial killings linked to election-related violence, each delivering a strong message of justice and peace during separate Eucharistic celebrations held in honor of the victims on consecutive days – Archbishop Jude Thadeus Ruwa’ichi of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam on November 9 and Archbishop Gervas Nyaisonga of the Archdiocese of Mbeya on November 10.
In his homily on Monday, November 10, while presiding over Mass for those killed and injured in the violence linked to Tanzania’s October 29 elections, Archbishop Ruwa’ichi decried the use of brutal force against protesters, lamenting the deaths and injuries that ensued.
“Our nation is wounded. Our nation has lost honor because of what happened during the week of the general election. It has not only lost honor, but it has lost people, citizens who have been killed unlawfully,” the chairman of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference said at St. Joseph Cathedral.
The local ordinary of Dar es Salaam condemned the firing of live bullets at protesters, lamenting that some people were killed merely for participating in demonstrations, even though, he emphasized, “the penalty for demonstrating is not death by gunfire.”
“Others were killed in their homes. To trace someone and kill them in their house does not reflect the image of Tanzania in any way,” the Tanzanian-born member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin said, describing the use of force against civilians as “an abomination before God.”
“There is no peace without justice. Let that be well settled in your minds; justice is the necessary foundation of peace,” Archbishop Ruwa’ichi said. “As we celebrate this Mass for our brothers, relatives, friends, and fellow citizens who were killed during the election week, let us ask God to have mercy on us, to grant us wisdom, to grant us again the readiness to act justly, and to be people of truth.”
Questioned elections and allegations of repression
Demonstrations reportedly spread across Tanzania for several days following the October 29 vote, as citizens took to the streets to protest an election that, according to foreign observers, fell short of democratic standards after key opposition figures were barred from participating.
At least 240 people have reportedly been charged with treason in connection with the deadly protests, while human rights groups allege that thousands were killed in the post-election violence, and warn that some victims may have been buried in secret mass graves.
According to a BBC news report, authorities in Tanzania have sought to downplay the scale of the violence, while a nationwide internet shutdown — in place until the afternoon of November 3 — made it nearly impossible to obtain information from the country or verify the death toll.
“Access remains severely restricted, especially to social media sites and messaging platforms,” the BBC reported, citing information by internet monitor NetBlocks.
In his homily on November 9 at the Mwanjelwa Marian Shrine, Archbishop Nyaisonga said during another Holy Mass offered for the victims of the post-election violence in Mbeya Archdiocese, “Those killed included children, young people, and the elderly, as well as women and men, both civilians and security officers.”
He prayed for the safe return of those reported to have disappeared or who were made to disappear before and after the October 29 general election. “Before and during the general election, several people were reported missing under suspicious circumstances; some are believed to have been kidnapped by unknown individuals,” he said. “In this Mass, we pray to God to help us find them, whatever their condition may be.”
“If they are alive, let us rejoice in their being found. If they are dead, let us mourn and bury them with human dignity. Let us pray for them to have God’s peace and then close the grieving,” said Archbishop Nyaisonga, and warned that those hiding the victims are doing so in violation of human rights.
Featured image: Catholics participate in a procession in Tanzania. (Radio Maria Tanzania)
